What is your claim? Week 28, 2010

Something that may be puzzling is that God can use you for great things even though you do not know Him. Take Cyrus for example (Isa 45:1, 4), or Naaman (2Ki 5:1). Is God using you to achieve great victories? Can we depend on you for projects? Are you always there so that shame is wiped off the face of ministers during launchings? “Yes,” I hear you say: “at home and in the town my presence is felt, and a good number of congregations have had their building work done with my help. Mark you I have not limited my help to one denomination”. Well done, wealth that enters your hands comes to good use. You are highly placed and respected. But there was once a certain centurion, a man like you, full of good works but not saved. And they said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say." Act 10:22(ESV). “And what was Peter to say?” Then Peter would tell him how he and everyone in his house could be saved Act 11:14(CEV). He had to hear the message of Jesus and believe. Are you like this?
Your track record is impressive. The poor are touched by your generosity. In fact in church matters you are a titled man; a knight in shining armour! “Yes that is me. No man of God comes my way without smiling home with his pocket lined.” Brilliant! Cornelius was such. Now in Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius…He was a devout man who feared God, as did everyone in his home. He gave many gifts to the poor among the people and always prayed to God Act 10:1, 2(ISV).
I hope you do not try to establish your own righteousness; it makes it impossible for you to get God’s own; being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God Rom 10:3(ASV). When you think of acceptance before God what do you put forward: your track record or God’s gift? They that receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ Rom 5:17(ASV). Beware do-gooder that you don’t present your deeds as reason for God to accept you: We are unfit to worship you; each of our good deeds is merely a filthy rag. We dry up like leaves; our sins are storm winds sweeping us away Isa 64:6(CEV). What is your claim to acceptance by God? Ask to receive the gift of righteousness.